State official says Sam's Club's sudden closing violated federal law

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A state lawmaker said Walmart violated federal law in suddenly closing a DeKalb County Sam’s Club.
It’s the only location in Georgia of more than 60 to close nationwide.

For the past two weeks, the store in Stonecrest has had a sign on its door that said "closed."

The nearly 200 employees who used to work inside that store, along with vendors and customers, said they got zero notice ahead of time that the store was shutting its doors. That’s where Rep. Vernon Jones said Walmart violated the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, Act.

The act said large employers are required by law to give workers a 60 day notice. Walmart, which is paying workers severance for 60 days, said they gave notice the day they closed and employees aren’t officially terminated until they stop getting paid in mid-March.

"Is this placed closed or not? Can an employee go in here and work? Those they laid off, no. can you come in here and shop? What about those vendors?" Jones said.